Optical fiber communication systems are now widely deployed. Recently, relatively new communication services, such as the Internet, high-speed data links, video services, wireless services and CATV, have resulted in a dramatic increase in the need for higher information data rates. The aggregate data throughput rate of a communication system can be increased either by increasing the bandwidth of an individual data channel or by increasing the number of data channels.
State-of-the art optical fiber communication systems are being built to transmit data over long distances with higher data rates and/or with a larger number of data channels. In addition, state-of-the art optical fiber communication systems often include features, such as gain management, wavelength multiplexing, tunability, and switching. Furthermore, state-of-the art optical communications systems are agile, flexible, and reconfigurable. Many features of these state-of-the art networks are automated.
These state-of-the art optical communications systems typically require channel monitoring throughout the system. Automation of many actions performed on these systems, such as channel provisioning and power balancing, can only be realized by using data from optical channel monitors (OCMs). Optical channel monitors provide information about the optical transmission system, such as the optical power, number of optical channels, channel identification, wavelength, and in some cases, optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR). It is desirable for the optical channel monitor to accurately determine the optical power in broadband optical signals.